1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having multiple antennas and an antenna adjustment (i.e., regulation) information display method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a device that can be carried around and has one or more functions such as voice and video call communication, inputting and outputting information, storing data, and the like. A mobile terminal may be configured to perform diverse functions. Such diverse functions may include a data and voice communication function, a function of capturing a photo image or video through a camera, a voice storage function, a music file reproducing function through a speaker system, an image or video display function, and the like. Some mobile terminals include an additional function allowing playing games, and other mobile terminals are implemented as multimedia players. Recently, mobile terminals allow users to receive broadcast or multicast signals to view video or television programs.
Efforts are ongoing to support and increase the functionality of mobile terminals. Such efforts include software and hardware improvements, as well as changes and improvements in the structural components which form the mobile terminal.
An evolution-UMTS (E-UMTS) system, evolved from a UMTS system, proceeds with a basic standardization in 3GPP. The E-UMTS system is also called a long term evolution (LTE) system.
An E-UMTS network includes an E-UTRAN and a core network (CN). The E-UTRAN includes a base station (BS) (eNode B or eNB), and the CN includes an access gateway (AG). The AG may be divided into a part for processing user traffic and a part for processing controlling traffic. In this case, the gateway for processing user traffic and the gate way for processing the controlling traffic may communicate by using a new interface. One or more cells may exist in a single BS, and an interface for transmitting user traffic or control traffic may be used between BSs. The CN may be configured as a node for registering the gateways and terminal (UE) users, and the like.
The LTE is the latest communication technique scheme devised to download a great deal of data. Unlike the WCDMA or GSM, the communication scheme such as the LTE or WiMax can implement a high data rate by employing multi-antenna algorithm called MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output).
The MIMO is a system in which a device includes multiple antennas, for example, two, four, eight antennas, to improve a reception performance of the antennas by using a diversity technique and beamforming technique.
In the LTE system including multiple antennas, some devices (terminals, smart phones, peripheral devices for notebook computers, or the like) have an antenna which can be protruded to move in every direction. Accordingly, a user can move the device or the antenna upon viewing throughput in receiving data.
In this case, however, the user's determining a reception state based on his intuitional throughput possibly causes an error. That is, if the device is performing handover or if the device or the terminal is located between two BSs, the user cannot know whether or not the currently indicated throughput is optimal.
In general, in the LTE system, the BS provides a service by applying fairness (namely, by fairly scheduling so that a particular terminal or device may not receive much service) according to a radio environment and the number of terminals (or devices) currently connected to the BS. This is because if several terminals attempt connection to the BS, throughput would degrade.
Thus, in order to determine throughput of a downlink signal in the LTE system, it is presupposed that the terminal and the BS are connected and data is transmitted and received so as to be basically measured. In addition, in the occurrence of handover, when the BS limits throughput of the terminal, which has performed handover, (under various conditions), the terminal cannot determine whether or not the limitation of throughput has been caused by a change in a radio environment or by a logical reason. For these reasons, there would be a high possibility of an error if the user determines the reception state unconditionally with the downlink throughput in the LTE system.
In addition, when the user determines the reception state with the throughput, the user can hardly determine which antenna needs to be adjusted (or regulated). The reason is because the throughput in the LTE refers to throughput with respect to the overall reception state, rather than being discriminated by antennas. Although it is not in a handover situation, in general, throughput may change between calls even not in a radio environment.
Thus, if a reception performance with respect to each antenna, namely, each channel, is indicated before the device, namely, the mobile terminal, employing (or that may employ) the multi-antenna technique called MIMO is connected for a call with the BS or while the device (or the mobile terminal) is being connected with the BS for a call.